Page 9 of Roar Letter Word

The king watched her stride away on long legs. It made him feel a little drunk watching her stroll along in his home.

And maybe a little foolish.

“She seems charming.”

Ruzyll stood there with arms folded behind his back, grinning like a madman. He was teasing him, which didn’t really fly most of the time for the king. He could be playful when he wanted to be, but he also believed in the power of authority.

He turned to his most trusted advisor, whose smile melted faster than ice in the Tellahn desert when the king began to make his demands.

“You listen to me, Ruzyll, and you listen closely. No more joking around. Do you hear me?”

His closest confidant’s expression grew even more serious. His skin became a translucent white as if somewhat frightened by his king’s proximity and stern tone.

Good, that was what he wanted.

“Listening?”

“Yes, sir,” he said like a soldier.

Mahes raised a finger in the air, pointing down the hallway in the direction that Addie had just gone. Ruzyll’s eyes followed it momentarily, then snapped back to lock on his king’s eyes.

“Everything, and I mean every little thing, has to be perfect for the next week. Nothing can fall out of order. The state of her bedroom, any need being unmet, it’ll be your head on a silver platter if anything goes wrong. Hear me?”

Ruzyll’s lips twitched, trying to stifle another one of his smug grins.

The king pursed his lips, lowering his voice to a low rumble.

“What is it?” he snarled.

“Pardon me, sir, but you have never paid such care to the needs of your guests. Especially when it's … a woman.”

The king grunted, though the lion inside wanted to roar. He was tempted to raise his voice, but he couldn’t have Addie hear him scolding his chief of staff. So he left his temper to simmer, tucking it away for another moment.

“Addie is my fated mate, Ruzyll. She isn’t like any other woman I have brought here. Everything that goes on this week is going to aid her in her decision as to whether or not she wants to stay. So, I reiterate. Everything must be flawless.”

The realization dawned on Ruzyll’s face like dropping a stone into a well. His skin bloomed with color again, and he became excitable.

“Yes. Yes, sir, I completely understand. Everything will go swimmingly this week. You have my word.”

“Good. Now see to it that all the other staff members comprehend the order.”

Ruzyll took a solemn bow, then moved back toward the staff quarters.

Mahes wasn’t wasting any time. He didn’t think Addie was going to take very long in her room, so he bolted into the kitchen to give the same vehement instructions to his private chef.

The lead chef of the luxurious estate was named Ollie, a man around Mahes's age but of far lower privilege. He was far skinnier than the majority of shifters one would interact with on Nova Aurora, but there was some bite to him when you got him going. Mahes often thought of him as a succo … a ten-legged creature native to the planet with a skeletal structure akin to the black widow spider on Earth. Except Nova Aurora’s was a blood-chilling red and about the size of a watermelon.

The insect was predatory, and although its shade was rather alarming, you couldn’t help but be drawn to it. That was what the king thought of Ollie.

So when he stormed into the kitchen, he wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. There were many times that Ollie was surprisingly agreeable, while other times, he was rather blunt and stubborn. It didn’t matter. Addie had to have an exemplary time during her visit to their planet.

And the execution of food was going to play into that.

“Ollie, good morning,” Mahes said, greeting his chef, who bowed to him as he prepared for dinner.

“Good morning, My King. Are you satisfied with today’s dinner menu?”

“I am, but I’m afraid that plans have changed rather swiftly. I have a human visitor who is of great importance staying this week. We are going to have to scrap dinner, as well as the other meals you have planned.”

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